Divination, Ritual,
and Spellwork with the Athame
Witches have been associated with prophecy and fortunetelling for thousands of years. The Witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth foretold the future, and countless Witches in the present day read tarot cards, tea leaves, and anything else that might provide a glimpse of the future. Though the athame is not generally thought of as a divination tool, it can be used as such, and often with great results.
Scrying with an Athame
Scrying is an ancient art and is generally used for catching glimpses of the future. Most people who scry use an external focus, generally a mirror, but anything reflective can be used for scrying. It’s not possible to scry with every athame. You’ll need one with a reflective surface, with the best results generally coming from blades made of stainless steel or polished stone.
Unlike other forms of scrying, when you scry with your athame you won’t catch glimpses of the future, but just bits of your true path. You should scry with the athame when you aren’t sure of the direction in your life or are unable to determine your heart’s content. Here are some of the questions I’ve asked my athame over the years:
Am I truly in love with this person or just infatuated?
What project should I be working on?
Where is all the stress in my life coming from?
Am I on the right spiritual path for me?
I use my athame to answer questions about myself. I would never use my athame to scry for anyone else.
Since the athame is an extension of each individual Witch, it’s especially suited for revealing one’s true will. Few other tools are as attached to the individual Witch as the athame, so what tool could be better for delving into the psyche of a Witch? When used as a scrying device, the athame allows us to look inward and see our deepest desires.
When I scry with my athame, I usually set up a small altar near a window if it’s a night of the full moon. If the moon is not very bright, I’m less choosy about where I set up, but I do try to make myself comfortable. If I use a kneeling altar, I provide pillows for my knees or use a chair. I like to reflect moonlight off my blade if possible, but candlelight works just as well. I find that setting my athame on a black cloth (or other dark-colored material) helps me focus better. Burning a little incense also sometimes helps create a magical mood. Make sure to polish your athame before this ritual so it’s as reflective as possible.
After you’ve set up your altar area, you’ll want to charge the athame with some of your own personal power. Drop most of your conscious thought for a few moments and then direct your gaze inward. Eventually you should try to focus on a brightly burning fire inside of yourself, which is representative of your true will. I always picture this near my heart. Gaze upon that fire for a minute or two and take a deep breath. Now feel that burning energy move through your body, along your arm, and eventually into your blade. “Push” the energy into your athame so that your blade radiates with your will and power.
After the blade is sufficiently charged, raise it above your head, perhaps holding it out toward the moon if it is full, and say:
Lord and Lady, I come this night to ask a boon.
By powers of earth, air, fire, water, sun, and moon,
I seek to see my right path and know my true will.
Athame, reveal the answers with truth and skill.
So mote it be!
Set the athame down on your black cloth and make sure to position it in such a way that there’s light reflecting off of it. You should also be able to make out a bit of your face in the blade. I always try to focus on capturing my eyes on the reflective surface of my athame. The idea that the eyes are the gateway to the soul is an old one and feels like good magical advice.
After your blade has been positioned, you’ll want to verbalize your question. It’s important here to be as specific as possible. If you don’t want a vague answer, don’t ask a vague question.
Once you’ve asked the question, stare into the blade of your athame. Let your eyes lose focus, and clear your mind of as many thoughts as possible. If you find yourself thinking anything, let it be the question you are asking. I sometimes find myself trying to “look past” the reflection of my eyes on the athame’s blade. It’s beyond our physical selves where we will be able to find the answers we seek. Sometimes I see what look like storm clouds rolling across my athame and then parting right before I see the answer I’m seeking.
I don’t always “see” the answers to my questions on the steel of my blade; there have been times when it’s more like a feeling. If I find myself not getting an answer after a substantial period of time, I touch one index finger to the pommel and the other to the knife’s point, then close my eyes and look inward. At that point I’ve probably ceased actually “scrying,” but I find that the flow of energy from the athame into myself and back again is a good source for drawing out an answer.
Answers while scrying can come in many forms. For some people it’s a very real vision; for others it’s a sudden determination that there’s one particular path that’s right for them. When I scry with the athame, I often find myself becoming sure of a particular decision. It’s almost as if a seed in my brain has suddenly sprouted and grown about a foot in just a few minutes.
If you find yourself not getting an answer, that’s okay. There are times when even our true selves struggle to figure out what path we should be walking. When there’s no answer, set aside your question for a few days and try not to struggle with it. Let your subconscious mind work on the problem; answers often appear when we aren’t obsessing over them. After a week or so, try scrying with your athame again and the answer might just reveal itself.
When you are done with your scrying ritual, be sure to thank the gods for any wisdom you might have received. If your question wasn’t answered, still thank the gods; it’s best to keep them on your side. A quick kiss to your blade as a thank-you is a good idea too.
The Athame Pendulum
One of the easiest forms of divination is the use of a pendulum. All that’s required to make a pendulum is generally a stone or crystal and a small length of string or chain. When divining with a pendulum, the Witch simply holds the pendulum, waits for it to swing, and then determines the answer based either on the swinging motion or the final area the pendulum points to after moving. I usually use the pendulum for yes/no questions, but if you find yourself proficient with its use, it can be used to answer more involved questions as well.
One of the great advantages of using your athame as a pendulum is that it doesn’t require any extra work. Unlike a store-bought pendulum or even a freshly minted stone/crystal pendulum, your athame has already been blessed and consecrated, and it knows you better than nearly any other tool on your working altar. You don’t have to take any extra time getting to know your pendulum because you already know it. Your athame is seeped in your energy and power and wants to work with you.
Since your athame responds directly to your magical will, it’s well suited for divination. The questioning energy coming out of you will generally cause your blade to swing just a little bit, enough to provide you with an answer. Because most athames are in tune with their owners, the athame pendulum is best at answering personal questions. I don’t use it to answer questions for friends, family members, or covenmates.
When using your athame as a pendulum, it’s important to make sure that it’s reasonably well balanced. Simply tying a piece of string around the pommel will give your pendulum a very pronounced tilt, resulting in it continually favoring one side. An easy work-around for this is to use two pieces of string, tying each one to where the crossguard meets your knife’s handle. If you then hold on to the two pieces of string right above your knife’s pommel, the pendulum should balance pretty easily.
To use your pendulum with a minimum of fuss, you’ll need to decide what its movements mean. The best way to do this is by asking your pendulum questions you already know the answers to. You could ask the pendulum a question such as “Am I twenty-four years old?” If you are twenty-four years old and it moves to the left, then movement toward the left implies “yes.” If it moves to the right and you aren’t twenty-four, then rightward movement means “no.” I usually ask three to four questions here to make sure I’ve got my yes/no responses figured out properly.
I generally place a board with some already printed-out answers under my pendulum to get a clearer reading. This also allows the individual Witch to add a few other categories beyond yes or no. The most common other answers are generally “ask again” and “answer unclear.” Receiving “ask again” as an answer is often a sign that your question was asked improperly. It’s possible that you didn’t put enough of your own energy into the question or that you asked the question in such a vague way that no answer was possible. Responses like “answer unclear” generally imply that there are currently too many variables involved to provide a proper answer. Sometimes restating the question helps, but other times it’s best to put the pendulum away and ask again in a few days.
Pendulum boards are often made in the shape of a pentagram, but any shape that appeals to the individual Witch is acceptable. Some Witches go so far as to fill their pendulum boards with letters and numbers, like a Ouija board. That amount of information feels like overkill to me, and if I wanted such an involved answer, I’d probably pull out a deck of tarot cards. With the pendulum, simple is always best.
I use a pendulum for quick answers, meaning I generally skimp on the ceremony. Before asking a question, I usually ask the Lord and the Lady to guide my endeavors, but other than that, there’s very little pomp and circumstance. If you have a lot of questions you need answers to, then I suggest a little extra ritual: light some incense, play some music, and maybe even cast a magick circle if you feel the need. Of course, if your need for divination is that great, you might want to use a technique a bit more advanced than the pendulum.
Candle Carvings
When working as a solo Witch, my go-to spells generally involve candle magick. Candles provide an effective and easy way to work magick, and the athame (or white-handled knife, depending on your preference) can play a large role in that work. As an instrument of our will, the athame is uniquely suited to aiding our magical undertakings.
Candle magick really requires only two things: a candle and something with which to light that candle. The simplest way to prepare a candle for spellwork is to hold it in your hand and pour your intent into it. If you are trying to get a new job, simply focus on the type of job you want and see yourself happy and fulfilled within it. Then take that energy and pour it into the candle. When the candle is lit, that energy will then go out into the universe and hopefully give you your desired outcome.
That’s the simplest way to use candle magick, but not necessarily the most effective way. The longer you work on something like a candle, the more will and emotion you put into it. It’s also important to focus on exactly what you want. That’s one of the things about magick: you often get what you ask for, but what you get is not always quite what you were expecting. When I was an angsty college student, I did a few love spells, and they generally worked. I’d fall pretty hard for somebody, but I always forgot to ask for that emotion to be reciprocated. Specifics matter, and that’s one of the reasons the athame can be such a help when doing candle magick. Since the athame is a conduit for our true will, it’s sometimes better at harnessing our true intentions than we are.
I usually start any candle spell by writing out my intention on an index card. From there I move on to dressing my candle with oil. There’s no right or wrong kind when it comes to oil; simply use a type of oil that you believe relates to what you are trying to achieve. If you are trying to draw something to you (like love or money), anoint the candle from the bottom up. If you are trying to remove something (like a bad habit), anoint it downward, starting at the wick.
After the anointing is where the athame comes in. There are several different ways to carve on a candle, and they are all correct. The easiest is to write out whatever you are trying to achieve directly on the candle in plain English. Carving into a candle with a knife requires a large degree of concentration and skill, even though it sounds simple. It’s even trickier if your knife is sharp on the edges. Etching out a T is pretty easy, but an S, much less so.
A more complicated method of candle carving involves the use of magical alphabets (like the Norse runes or Theban script—see the appendices). Magical alphabets are effective tools in magick because they require extra concentration. The longer you work on a candle, the more powerful it will be. Using a bunch of symbols that you are not overly familiar with requires extra work—and more time devoted to your candle. The figures in those alphabets are also a bit trickier to carve, requiring extra attention to detail.
No matter what alphabet I use when writing on a candle, I generally add a few extra “Witch marks” when I’m done. I always ask for the blessings of the Lord and the Lady in whatever magical endeavor I’m undertaking, so I like to put their symbols on my candles (see the illustration of Witch symbols in chapter 3). I also like to use phrase “the power going forth,” because it’s representative of my candle’s intended purpose.
There’s a third type of carving that I like to do, which I think of as “letting my intentions go free.” Instead of concentrating on a specific alphabet, I shut off my mind and use my athame as a conduit for my true will. I allow the athame, my unconscious mind, and my hand to draw whatever on my candle. Usually I end up with a lot of random squiggles and other things, but those random squiggles represent what’s inside of me. When I have trouble expressing my problems or needs, I turn off my active mind and trust that my true will and my athame will know what needs to be done to help fix the situation.
Out of all of our tools, it’s the athame that we use to direct our power and energy. What wouldn’t we want to use it in our magical endeavors? It’s a precise way to infuse whatever we are doing with our magical energy. It’s easy enough to use a sewing pin to mark on a candle, but does that pin know us like our athame does? Do we cast circles with such items or salute the elements with them? No, and that’s what makes the athame so effective when it’s used to carve on a candle.
After my intent and words have been poured into my candle via the athame, I like to charge the candle in my hands before lighting it. If I’ve got time to spare, I might leave the candle on my altar for a few days and wait for the appropriate lunar phase before releasing the power contained within it. (This also allows the candle to soak up a little bit more of my energy before the spell is finalized.) It’s not necessary to wait for a waxing or full moon to do a prosperity spell, but it can be helpful if you’re not in a big hurry.
When I actually get to the point of burning the candle, I like to put underneath it my original notecard denoting the candle’s purpose. When lighting the candle, I usually ask the gods to bless my work with a quick little prayer:
Lord and Lady, bless the work that I do here this night.
May my magick powerfully flow from candle’s light. So mote it be!
The spell is generally finished when the candle has finished burning or has reached a specific endpoint specified by the Witch.
For my own spells, I sometimes end up using long taper candles. Long tapers are great because they emit a powerful flame and allow for lots of carving room. However, they take a long time to burn out completely. Since a candle should never be left unattended and I don’t always have the time necessary to wait for a candle to burn down completely, I sometimes mark a specific spot on the candle where all of its energy shall be released.
Some Witches marks such spots by sticking a needle into the candle, with the spell’s energy released when the candle burns down to the pin. That’s certainly an effective way to mark the end of a spell, but there’s an even easier way. Using the athame, simply draw a circle around the spot in the candle where you want the spell to end. I generally don’t mark anything above a quarter of the way down the candle’s length; I usually settle for a circle in the middle of the candle.
It’s important to do more than just draw a circle on the candle; the circle that’s being created has to forcefully represent your intent. While drawing the circle, I usually reflect on its purpose internally while stating my intention out loud:
At this line my magick shall be unleashed.
All this candle’s energy will be released. So mote it be!
When you are done with the spell, it’s customary to bury the candle you’ve used or to melt down what’s left of it to create a new candle. If I’m using a long taper and have a lot of it left over, I’ll sometimes choose to honor the candle by placing it somewhere in my ritual room and letting its remaining light illuminate my other workings until it burns out completely.
Spell to Let Go of a Lover or Friend
We all have moments when we realize that we need to move on from a lover or friend. Sometimes it’s simply because a relationship didn’t quite work out, and sometimes it’s because our “friends” put us in a compromising or dangerous situation. Most Witches follow the dictate of the Wiccan Rede, which states, “An it harm none, do what you will.” It’s a rule I follow with every bit of magick I practice; however, sometimes circumstances call for extremely proactive spellwork. This is a spell of that nature.
This is a simple spell that requires only some string, two objects you can tie together (I suggest something like popsicle sticks), and your athame. Start by deciding which one of the two items to be tied together will represent you and which will represent a person in your life whom you need to let go of. Then hold the object representing you in your hands for a few moments and reflect on why it’s time to end the relationship with the person you are letting go of. Picture yourself happy, healthy, and moving on with your life. Pour that energy into the item that’s representing you.
Now take your athame and carve your name (or initials) into the object. You can also carve some additional things onto your item, such as runes of protection and/or strength (see appendix 2). Symbols of the gods are also appropriate here. What’s important is that anything you draw on the object representing you really does reflect who you are and why you’ve come to this point in your life.
You could certainly use a marker for this part of the spell, or scratch into your item with wood, but the athame simply projects energy better. You want your emotions to be a part of your magical practice, and you want to infuse the items you do magick with to contain your energy. There’s no better way to do that than with an athame.
The second stage of the spell is the most difficult and emotionally wrenching. Hold the second stick (or whatever item you use) in your hands and reflect on the person you are removing from your life. Think about the things that have brought you to this point, and reaffirm in your mind why this needs to be done. Hold the person’s image in your mind’s eye and feel it travel down your body and through your shoulders, your arms, and then finally the object in your hands.
Now carve the initials or the name of the person you wish to remove from your life on the second stick with the athame. If there are some symbols you wish to add, go ahead, but be sure to mind the Wiccan Rede while doing so. You may want to use a rune representing new beginnings for the person you are leaving behind, because in some ways they’ll be starting a new chapter in their lives—a chapter you’ll be free from!
If you want to add a little extra juice to this spell, you can add a few personal effects/items to the two items you will be tying together. In many Witch traditions a “personal effect” is often a lock of hair or a fingernail, but those sorts of things can be hard to come by. You can add a picture to each stick if you want, but with the initials/names carved on each item it shouldn’t be necessary.
Now wrap your cord around the two items several times and tie them together while saying:
Once bound together,
I remove this tether.
The cord that bound
Will soon be unwound.
After you tie the items together, make sure that the object representing you is on top when you set them down. This is an expression of your power, as you are the one making this change to your lives.
Before cutting the cord binding the two of you together, state your intent to the universe:
Tonight I break the bonds that hold me to _____ (person’s name). Our time together is now at an end. With harm to none I cut these cords!
Now cut the cord holding your two items together. As you move your athame through the cord, imagine the threads that once connected the two of you being removed. There’s an old adage in Witchcraft that says “as above, so below,” and truer words were never spoken in this case. With every piece of cut cord, you will be removing a tie that binds you to the person in question. I find cutting and reading at the same time to be dangerous, but if you want to say a few words while enacting your spell, here is a little incantation:
With one cut this love’s undone.
I rid myself of the harm you do.
This thread is now broken.
So mote it be, this Witch has spoken!
When you’ve finished the spell, bury the item representing the other person in the ground. If that’s not an option, you can also throw it into a body of water like a stream or river if it’s a natural stick/branch. It’s also acceptable to burn the item, but unless the person is downright horrible, that seems a little extreme to me. You can also just throw the item into a garbage can. My wife suggests either burying the cord used in the spell or perhaps keeping it as a reminder of lessons learned.
Spirits and the Blade
Gerald Gardner once described the athame as “the true Witch’s weapon.” This description has always been a bit troubling to me because I’ve never seen any use for a “weapon” during Witch ritual. Well, except for that one time …
That particular night wasn’t anything special. The coven was practicing ritual as usual and we had gotten to the “working” part of our rite. We were preparing to chant and dance as a way to raise energy when one of my covenmates snatched my athame off our altar. He then turned and stabbed into the air, yelling, “Away!” The rest of us stood there in shock as he continued to make a few movements with my knife before finally yelling, “Be gone!”
He then placed my athame back on our altar and explained that he had felt a negative presence pressing in on our circle and attempting to join our ritual. My athame was the one closest to him (and as a good friend, he knew I wouldn’t mind him touching it) and he felt the need to act immediately. He was acting on impulse but made the right decision. The athame can be an effective tool against dark forces.
As a Witch, I’m not a big believer in the Devil, but I do believe that there are negative forces in the world. Often these are malevolent spirits (ghosts) or perhaps fey with a poor view of humanity. Magick circles attract spiritual energies, so it’s not surprising that such entities might peek in on a Witch ritual. Usually they are content to simply watch at a distance, but in rare instances they seek to lash out. My friend was reacting to one of those instances.
During a spectral intrusion, the athame can be used two very different ways. The first (and best) way is to use your athame to “push” the entity. This is a lot like casting the circle: you are summoning magical energy and then releasing it through the athame. The energy then propels the spirit (or other force) outward and away. Usually after getting whacked with the energy of an athame, the presence in question will either leave or keep a respectful distance.
My friend’s reaction was more visceral and less planned than a push of energy. He grabbed my blade and slashed, attempting to cut the presence at the edge of our circle. Now, one can’t really “cut” an unseen force, but stabbing an athame into an unwanted spectral visitor will most likely disrupt it. I’m not sure if this hurts the spirit, but it probably doesn’t feel all that good. After my friend stabbed our “visitor,” it departed our circle and hasn’t shown up since.
I am not suggesting that any Witch should go and seek dark forces so they can bash them with their athame. However, if you do find yourself in such a situation, an athame is a good object to have on hand. A Witch never goes looking for trouble, but when trouble does find them, they know how to take care of the situation.
A Dedication Ritual
One of the first steps on the path of the Witch is a dedication ritual. This can be done with a group, but is often solitary. My first dedication ritual occurred a year and a day after I discovered modern Witchcraft as an adult. It was a simple solo rite. I walked into a cornfield, took off my clothes, and then asked the Goddess and the God to watch over me on my new path. The ritual included here is a little more elaborate.
This ritual is designed to be done at night outdoors, but it can also be done indoors as long as there is a window handy. If done indoors, you’ll also need a bowl or pot filled with earth (dirt) and one with water. The only tool required for this ritual is your athame, but if you prefer to work with a full altar or some candles, that’s perfectly acceptable. I prefer to end all of my rituals with the simple feast of cakes and ale, but that’s not absolutely necessary.
Start the ritual by preparing yourself for what’s to come. Envision yourself as a Witch nestled in the embrace of the Goddess and the God. Picture yourself working magick, casting a circle with your athame, and calling the quarters. When you are settled, begin the ritual as you usually would. Cast the circle, call the elements, and invoke the Lord and the Lady and/or whatever deities are part of your personal practice.
Once the initial steps are all done, stop for a second to talk to the Goddess and the God. Speak about what you want out of the Craft and how it has called to you. Talk about the steps that have brought you to this night and this time. If you are closer to one deity than the other, make mention of that. At my dedication ritual, I asked the Horned God to be a larger part of my life, and he obliged!
Before the dedication rite begins, articulate what you are about to do:
Tonight I dedicate myself to the Old Ways, to the Craft of the Wise, to Witchcraft. With this step I link myself to all Witches past and present. With Goddess and God as my witnesses, I make this oath and promise to them that I shall live my life as a Witch, doing as I will while harming none. So mote it be!
Start by holding your athame out from your body, being sensitive to the breeze. As the power of air touches you and your blade, say:
Her breath is the power to know. I dedicate myself to the mysteries of the Craft, the gods, and this world. May my journey ever be of knowledge. Blessed be!
Now hold your athame up to the moon and reflect its light down upon you while saying:
Her reflection is the power to dare. I dedicate myself to the known and the unknown. A Witch never walks in fear. May my steps ever be confident. Blessed be!
Unless you live in a very dry part of the world, there should be some dew on the ground. If there is not, this next part can be done at any body of water or with a small bowl or chalice of water. Dip your blade into the water or wipe it upon the wet earth and say:
His touch is the power to will. I dedicate myself to striding ever forward. There is no obstacle that cannot be overcome. May my path ever be one of progress. Blessed be!
Now finally take your athame and plunge it into the earth while saying:
His touch is the power to keep silent. I dedicate myself to hearing the words of the Lord and the Lady and my brothers and sisters in the Craft. May my quest ever yield rewards. Blessed be!
With these four simple steps, you’ve invoked the Lord and the Lady and all the elements. Before ending the rite, stop to thank the Lord and the Lady:
I came to this place as just another person. I now leave it as a dedicated Witch! As a Witch, I’m a priestess (or priest) of the gods, a being of magick, and one who walks hand in hand with the earth. My will has led me to this place so that I might walk between the worlds! I thank the Lord and the Lady for guiding my path and the powers of the elements for blessing me this night. So mote it be!
If you’ve brought along cakes and ale, this is a great time for a simple feast. When you are done eating and drinking, be sure to leave some behind as a thank-you to the gods, the fey who might be watching, the earth, and the elements. You are now a dedicated Witch!
An Initiation Ritual
As an instrument of one’s true will, the athame fits nicely into the initiation rituals of a Witch. Initiations are typically done in covens to signify full acceptance of the rites and mysteries of a particular group. Initiation rituals figure prominently in many Witchcraft traditions, though any coven should feel free to start their own. Many initiated Witches can trace their lineage back seventy years or more, though age does not necessarily mean one tradition is better or greater than another.
The coven that meets at my house has only been together for a little over three years, and we have an initiation ritual. We have one because it draws the entire coven closer together, and a well-done initiation rite can be a life-changing event. There’s something powerful about publicly proclaiming your love of the Craft and feeling the love of your coven members. I think it’s an important rite, and I wish more covens made it an important part of their work.
Since this ritual was written with my coven in mind, the major players in it are the high priestess, the high priest, and the initiate. I work almost exclusively with my wife, which means we utilize the high priestess–high priest dynamic. For a ritual such as this, any combination of clergy is acceptable. Having two high priestesses (or priests) works just fine. I’m not a fan of “group” initiations. Every initiate should get their own ritual, though running through three or four of them in one evening is fine. Just make sure the focus of the high priestess rests exclusively on one initiate at a time.
For this ritual you will need some easy-to-cut cords. Cords are readily available at most fabric and hobby stores. Thick ropes of yarn will also work here and are probably even easier to cut. My wife and I prefer the color red for cords, though the color used is completely a matter of personal taste.
Initiation rituals generally require the use of two rooms or spaces. There should be a “sitting room” for initiates, along with the regular working space. I begin my coven’s initiations by leading the future initiates into the sitting room. Once they are comfortable, I take their athames and put them on the altar where the ritual will occur.
While the initiate waits to be summoned, you should have them write a letter about what they hope to gain from the Craft over the following year. When they are done, they should seal it and place it in a secure space. Upon the anniversary of their initiation, give the letter back to them so they can see how far they’ve come over the past year.
The initiation rite begins like any other ritual. The altar is prepared, the circle is cast, the quarters are called, and the Lord and the Lady are invoked. To make the initiation circle a little more special, it’s nice to lay it out both physically and spiritually. Before the ritual begins, create an actual circle in your working space. Using something as simple as white flour looks impressive here (and is easily swept up or vacuumed). Leaves, sand, flowers, and rocks are other options. A physical circle boundary is not necessary, but it will add tremendously to the ambiance.
Once the opening parts of the ritual are finished, the high priestess or high priest should go and collect the initiate, taking two cords with them. Upon reaching the initiate, the high priestess should ask them:
Tonight you seek the Craft of the Wise and the Way of the Witch. How do you approach the circle and those who would share with you the mysteries?
The initiate should respond with:
In perfect love and perfect trust.
Among the initiate and the initiators, there should always be “perfect love and perfect trust.” Its more than just a phrase; it’s the way of doing within a solid coven.
After the “password” has been said by the initiate, the high priestess should then instruct the initiate on what lies ahead:
The path of the Witch is not for the faint of heart. It’s one full of peril, and yet its rewards are sweeter than honey. You come to me with perfect love and perfect trust, and I do to you, yet now I would bound you before presenting you to the gods. Do you accept this development?
The initiate should respond with “yes” or some other affirmative comment.
The priestess then instructs the initiate to hold out their hands, dominant hand outward. When the hands have been presented, she takes the first cord and bounds them loosely at the wrists, saying:
We are often bound to the world of the mundane, unable to see the true beauty and magick of this world. This cord represents that tether to the unmagickal, all that often holds us back from walking the path of the Witch.
After the wrists are bound, the priestess loosely binds the initiate’s feet together at the ankles. Special care should be taken here to make sure the initiate can still walk comfortably. The binding here is more symbolic than physical. While tying the ankles together, the priestess says to the initiate:
Only in free will can one truly live as a Witch. I can initiate you into our coven’s mysteries, but the choice to walk our path lies with you. This obstacle is one that only the individual Witch can overcome. I may guide your steps this night, but the journey that lies before you is truly your own.
The initiate is led slowly into the working space, the priestess making sure that the initiate does not trip on the cords. When the pair reaches the perimeter of the working space, the circle is opened with the athame and the high priestess and the initiate are allowed to enter. The high priest then provides one final warning:
You are now preparing to enter a temple between the worlds, a circle where both mortals and gods dwell. Before you stands the path of the Witch, behind you a normal existence free from the responsibilities that come as a member of the Craft. Do you wish to proceed?
If the initiate replies in the affirmative, the ritual continues and all three participants move to stand before the altar.
The initiate is then instructed to kneel. Standing before the initiate, the high priestess takes the initiate’s hands into her own and raises them into the air. She examines the initiate’s hands while saying:
So much of this world seeks to blind us from the gods. The Witch knows that the divine exists everywhere in this world. It exists in the forests, the oceans, the rivers, and in our imaginations. It exists wherever we feel love for this earth and our sisters and brothers who walk upon it with us. By removing this cord, I remove the blinders that keep us from experiencing the true power of this world.
The high priest looks at the initiate’s hands being held by the high priestess and touches them briefly before continuing:
To experience that power and to escape that which blinds us, every Witch should know the greatest mystery. It is the foundation of all magick and illustrates the divinity of this world. “As above, so below” is the secret of the Witch. The power to see and do all things resides both within and without us. Now that you know the mystery, do you wish to continue, knowing that how you see the world will be forever changed?
The initiate should reply in the affirmative.
Grabbing her athame off of the altar, the high priestess cuts the cord, freeing the hands of the initiate, while saying:
I now remove all that separates you from the gods. The Lord and the Lady exist in this place, and they exist within you and me. As above, so below, indeed.
The high priest now stands before the initiate and says:
While we have removed the first obstacle keeping you from the mysteries, the second obstacle is one that you must remove yourself. You must truly want to walk the path of the Witch. You must set your feet upon that path.
The high priestess picks up the initiate’s athame from the altar and holds it out to them, saying:
This is the athame, the true Witch’s weapon. It lies at the heart of our mysteries, for our mysteries are those of the self. Those who wield the athame wield their true will in the circle. Is it your will to walk the path of the Witch with this coven?
After the candidate replies with “yes,” the priestess continues:
Then take this blade and free yourself from what still separates you from this coven, for you are the only one who can set your own feet onto the path of the Craft.
The initiate should feel free to sit on the ground to cut the cord around their feet. It’s important that this last step is done safely. No one wants to end their initiation ceremony doubled over on the floor or falling onto the coven’s altar. When both cords have been cut, they may be given to the initiate or placed in a jar with the cut cords of other coven members. The cords can also be burned if one wishes, as they symbolize obstacles.
Once the initiate is free of their restraints, they should stand before the priestess and priest, with one of them declaring the initiate a new member of the coven. If your coven uses magical names while in the circle, this is an excellent opportunity to ask the new initiate for their magical name. The high priestess or priest should then say:
Let it now be known to the four watchtowers, Spirit, the Great Goddess, and the Horned One that (initiate’s name or magical name) is now a member of (coven name). We welcome them to our mysteries. So mote it be!
(Everyone in the circle repeats, So mote it be.)
Still holding their athame, the new initiate is instructed to visit each of the four cardinal points and draw an invoking pentagram while announcing themselves to all four watchtowers:
Hail the element of air/fire/water/earth! Let it be known to all the watchtowers that I, (Witch’s name), am a Witch of the (coven name). So mote it be!
After hailing all the watchtowers, the candidate then approaches the altar and speaks to the Lady and the Lord and/or the specific deities of the coven. There they hail the Goddess and the God and announce their name and that they are a Witch.
Hail the great Lady! Great Goddess, I have received your mysteries and been initiated into the (coven name). Tonight, I, (Witch’s name), have been accepted by my brothers and sisters in the Craft as a true Witch. So mote it be!
After the Goddess has been addressed, the initiate addresses the Horned God:
Hail the true Lord! Horned One, I have received your mysteries and been initiated into the (coven name). Tonight, I, (Witch’s name), have been accepted by my brothers and sisters in the Craft as a true Witch. So mote it be!
The candidate now stands as a full member of the coven. In many traditions it’s customary to celebrate with gifts and feasting after an initiation. If the coven is initiating several different individuals over the course of one night, each new member of the coven is allowed to stay in the circle and assist the high priestess and priest in any way they desire, or sit quietly and observe the next initiation.